Anti-friction bearings may serve to decrease friction between, for example, a stator and a rotor. For instance, such bearings may allow relative rotation between a housing and a spindle extending through the housing. The housing may comprise, for example, a hub. The spindle may comprise a shaft, axle, or the like. The bearings may comprise roller bearings, for example, tapered roller bearings. In one example, the tapered roller bearings may be employed in wheel hub and axle assemblies. In another example, the tapered roller bearings may be employed in devices such as motors, pumps, or speed reducers.
A typical tapered roller bearing includes a cone having an inner race for mounting on a spindle, a cup having an outer race for mounting in a housing, and a plurality of roller elements within a roller cage positioned between the inner and outer races. Commonly, a pair of such tapered roller bearings may be mounted on a spindle rotation relative to or within a housing. Cooperating bearings, such as a pair of tapered roller bearings, may be included in a bearing assembly, for instance, of a motor, pump, speed reducer, or transmission assembly.
In order to properly secure bearings for operation, it is usually necessary to retain the bearings tightly under a predetermined axial tolerance or load on the spindle, for example, so that the bearings can maintain a proper running clearance of the roller elements under the influence of the combined axial and radial forces which the bearings are designed to support. Manufacturers of such assemblies often carefully measure the space between the bearing inner races, and provide a spacer of precisely the correct dimension and load requirements to fit therebetween. The spacer is typically made of ground steel tubing to a length tolerance of plus or minus one half of one thousandths of an inch. If the bearings are not maintained at a proper tolerance and/or load the bearings may not roll properly or may prematurely wear, particularly if the bearings are maintained at too high of a load, or may, if maintained under too low of a load, have excessive play causing failure of the bearings.
An exemplary configuration for an adjustable spacer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,397 to John E. Rode (entitled "Adapter Sleeve and an Adjustable Spacer with Radial Extension Useable Thereon," issued Aug. 27, 1996, and assigned to Temper Corporation), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In one embodiment, such an adjustable spacer may be of a type shaped as a ring for mounting between a pair of tapered bearings mounted on an axle or spindle to allow a load to be axially placed on the bearings. The adjustable spacer may include an extension located at a radius from an imaginary axis of the spacer, a contact means oriented radially outward from the extension, and a compressible area located between the contact means and the extension wherein the compressible area deforms when a predetermined load is applied to the ring in the axial direction. The adjustable spacer may be configured to be used with an adapter sleeve for use on axles or spindles of multiple radii.
However, it remains desirable to provide refinements to such an adjustable spacer, for example, to allow additional or alternative positions of the adjustable spacer on the spindle and/or relative to one or more of the bearings, and/or to provide further configurations for support and/or loading in a bearing assembly.
Thus, a need exists for a configuration for an adjustable spacer to accommodate positioning of bearings for enhanced ease, effectiveness, and/or efficiency of assembly of, and/or enhanced structural support provided by, a bearing assembly of which the adjustable spacer is a part. A need also exists for the adjustable spacer to allow additional and/or further support and/or loading configurations in the bearing assembly. Another need exists for the adjustable spacer to allow a desired adjustment to be provided for the bearing assembly.